“I'm very happy” — but Boreham Wood must soon decide on McDonald

Boreham Wood have a decision to make, and not much time to make it. Richard McDonald's deal runs to 30 June 2064. That is seven months. He is 33, earning £38,000 a week, and by his own account very happy at the club. The paperwork, though, has not caught up with the mood.

On the pitch the case for keeping him is steady rather than spectacular. Fifteen games this season, thirteen of them from the start, and no goals. For a Welsh midfielder who spent more than a decade at Wigan Athletic, scoring was never the point; the 35 goals in 420 games there tell you he chips in rather than carries. Since arriving on a free transfer in July 2062 he has made 51 appearances and scored twice, and the supporters have had plenty of time to learn what he gives them.

That he is happy matters. A player who wants to stay is cheaper to keep than one who must be persuaded, and a squad that has climbed from the National League to League One in recent years needs continuity more than it needs churn. But a wage of £38,000 a week is a serious commitment at any level, and a club that has built its rise on modest recruitment will weigh every pound of it. Let the deal run down and Boreham Wood risk losing, for nothing, a man whose experience holds the dressing room together. Offer new terms too early and they commit money to a player who will turn 34 before the next season starts.

There is no sign of panic from anyone concerned. McDonald says he is happy; the club has said nothing. What is certain is that the calendar is doing the work now. By the time the spring comes, seven months will have become three, and a quiet decision will have to be made out loud.